


There's a Hole Where Something Was

by Mary_Jane_Austin



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Attack, Competition, Depression, Eating Disorders, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, More tags to be added, Multi, Sabotage, Sports Injury, figure skating, self doubt, side plot - trying to figure out who hurt yuri, somebody places a hit on yuri, yuri is 21, yuri p is called yurio for clarity reasons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 10:45:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9178255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mary_Jane_Austin/pseuds/Mary_Jane_Austin
Summary: “W-wait a minute, we can talk about this.” Yuri honestly has no idea how the hell to talk himself out of this. He just needs to buy himself some time.“We’re sorry kid, but like we said, it's just a job. We hope you understand...Now let’s find out if your legs are just as fragile as that glass heart of yours, huh?”OrAfter an amazing comeback at the Grand Prix Final the year before, Yuri is the favorite to take gold this year, with or without Victor’s comeback. After a brutal attempt at sabotaging his career leaves him unable to compete, maybe ever, Yuri must not only figure out what his next moves are, but how to overcome his biggest obstacle, himself. It might take a little help.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So like right after I started my first story, I watched and became obsessed with YOI. I knew I just had to write something for it. I vaguely based this off of that incident in the 90's involving Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya harding. That's where I got the inspiration for this story line at least. 
> 
> The beginnings a little of a slow burn. It doesn't pick up til closer to the second half of the chapter but I hope you'll enjoy it. Positive feedback is always appreciated!! 
> 
> this is unbeta'd by the way. Feel free to point out any additional tags or trigger warnings.

  
_"I'ld promise you anything_  
_for another shot at life._  
_And perfect boys, with your perfect lives,_  
_nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy."_

***

The average career of a male figure skater isn't very long. You can maybe squeeze out ten to fifteen years if you're lucky enough not to sustain a serious injury and debut early enough in your teens like Victor or Yurio.

Yuri hadn't been that lucky. He didn’t make his senior debut until eighteen and somehow he’d managed to bomb that with flying colors. After taking a year off, he didn't truly peak until he was twenty. He was twenty-one now, with a Grand Prix Final Silver under his belt, along with a few other medals from qualifiers, Worlds and Four Continents. If he was really lucky, he could squeeze out another few years and maybe even take home a gold in all three before he retired.

It seemed that most people were hoping he would. Since he'd made his comeback last season, taking silver in all three major competitions, he was all any sports commentator could talk about. They said he'd been cheated out of Grand Prix Gold and that he was the undisputed favorite to win this year—even more so than Yuri “Yurio” Plitsetsky, who'd won gold during his senior debut last season at fifteen, or Victor Nikiforov, a five time world champion who was returning after a two season break. There were whispers that with his new program, Yuri might break more records and maybe take gold at every competition this year. He loved the idea but he hated the attention. It was overwhelming. Yuri was hardly used to being the one to beat. 

He tried to stay humble and not think about it. Thinking about it lead to over thinking and anxiety. Both of which lead to Yuri’s biggest vice, overeating. Even more than a vice, it was honestly a curse, at least given his career. 

In figure skating it paid to be small and lean—any extra body mass could mean the difference between a triple and double, could mean less stamina or slower speeds. It was why protégés like Yurio debuted young, before their bodies changed. Yuri was never the smallest skater on the ice. Even at his lowest weight, he was still pretty heavy for a skater his height. What he lacked in physique, he made up for it with phenomenal body control and stamina. 

But still, he'd always been prone to gaining weight, rapidly and easily. If he wasn't constantly working out and restricting his diet, like a lot, then he was probably overweight or at least bordering on it. He'd been in a such a rut after he'd bombed his senior debut, he'd gained twenty pounds almost immediately after the season ended. Most of it he could blame on genetics but part of it was his fault. He’d developed a habit of stress and binge eating that never really helped his cause. 

With retirement only a few years around the corner, Yuri thought keeping his weight under control long enough to retire with a major competition gold under his belt, would probably be his biggest problem. This was sounding like his year. His theme for this season had been “humility” and he'd prepared a set of beautiful programs to go with it. He reveals them to the world at the very first event, Skate America, and takes home gold with a 307.07 score at the beginning of the season, shaking his competitors to their core and practically solidifying his spot at this year’s championship. 

***

Nobody manages to beat Yuri’s Skate America score. After the first three competitions, the closest person is Victor with a score of 301.68. That intimidates Yuri. Any man who can take two years off from skating and come back to do that well is a nothing less than a God. Yuri wasn’t sure he’d make it back after a year break, let alone two. He can feel the self-doubt eating away at him sometimes, telling him that he doesn't have a chance against Victor no matter what everyone says. Hell, with a score of 299.39 at The Cup of China and a Grand Prix gold already under his belt, Yuri’s hardly sure he’ll place above Yurio in the end. 

Even with all the signs pointing to this being his year, Yuri's still struggles to be confident in himself. As far as he's concerned, he's still the kid who came in dead last at his senior debut, or even just the small chubby kid on the ice back in Hatsetsu with wobbly legs and glasses. He still has glasses, but at least he’s gotten control on the wobbliness. 

The Rostelecom Cup finds Victor, Yuri and Yurio together. Yuri considers him and Victor are pretty good friends. It's not as if they talk every day or anything but they usually catch up from time to time and try to hang out when they see each other. For years growing up, Yuri had worshipped Victor. When he'd finally met him, he hadn't been disappointed but very surprised. Victor was a lot sweeter than he expected. He still had an air of confidence to him, but he was a very easy guy to get along with. 

Yuri’s relationship with Yurio is a little more complicated, but not as bad as it once was. They met briefly at Yuri’s debut, only because the younger male had followed him into the bathroom after his humiliating loss to torment him further. It wasn’t one of Yuri’s fondest memories and it had definitely turned him off trying to form a relationship with the young prodigy. They met again during last year’s Grand Prix series, albeit reluctantly. Yurio and a few of his colleagues were getting ready to have dinner, when Victor waved Yuri and his sister over. Yuri’s sister would nickname him Yurio. Yurio would go on to beat him in the Finals that year by less than a point. Somewhere along the line though, he would develop respect for Yuri—enough so to consider him a worthy adversary. 

Despite being up against two of the most intimidating skaters he’s ever seen and his perpetual doubt that his luck will continue all season, talent seems to prevail. After his short program Yuri finds himself leading the board with a score of 102.33. 

The other competitors trail close behind, with no one scoring less than a 90. Yuri recognizes everybody at the competition. He’s competed against them all at least once—Jean-Jacques Leroy, Christophe Gicommeti, and Michele Crispino. They’re all amazing and with a line up like this, he attributes his own score to luck more than anything, though he doesn’t say that in his interviews. It’s like the moment he steps off the ice, he’s getting bombarded with questions and flashing lights. 

_“Yuri!”_

_“Yuri Katsuki!”_

_“Over here!”_

Yuri doesn’t like having microphones shoved in his face, or large crowds. He doesn’t like being the center of attention, but that’s all he’s been this season. It seems no matter the competition or the other skaters around, the press always wants to hound him All he wants is to go back to his hotel room, but his Coach keeps telling him that he needs to work on being more personable. ‘Inspire people, _like Victor_ ’ he says. Yuri doesn’t know how to be inspiring. He mostly gets by on trying not to be awkward and smiling. 

“Yuri, how do you feel going into the free skate tomorrow with the highest score of the day?” 

He smiles and rubs at his neck nervously. “I’m feeling pretty good I suppose. I’m still in awe of how well this season is going and I’m just trying to enjoy it while it lasts.” He hopes that doesn’t sound too arrogant. He’s trying to inspire people, whatever the hell that means. He’s not trying to come off like an asshole.

“Yuri! Yuri! Victor Nikiforov is trailing right behind you with a score of 101.83, does that worry you going into tomorrow’s free skate?”

He especially hates the questions that put him up against other skaters. It’s like people want to create a problem that isn’t there and Yuri’s never quite sure what to say. “I ugh…I think that this is still anyone’s competition. I…I just plan on focusing on myself and trying to do my best.” 

“In an interview earlier this week, Jean-Jacques Leroy was quoted saying there was no doubt in his mind that he would defeat you in the Rostelecom Cup. Several other contenders, including Georgi Popavich and Emil Nekola have said similar things about you in the last few weeks. Have you responded? Does any of this intimidate you?” 

_Of course it does._ They were all top tier skaters. All of them could easily overtake him at any point in the competition. But that’s not what the people want to hear. Nobody wants to listen to a skater completely undersell themselves, even if his theme for this season is humility and he used to be known for being the skater with the ‘worlds biggest glass heart’. He laughs it off nervously, barely even able to make eye contact with the camera as he lies.

“I haven’t really been keeping up with interviews but I guess I’m not too worried about it. Like I said, I’m just here to focus on myself.” 

He finds a chance to break free just as Victor comes off the ice, only stopping to sign a handful of autographs before finally wandering back up to his room. He hopes to relax and calm his anxiety down some. He doesn’t want to talk about his other competitors or how he feels. He just wants to skate and as long as he never embarrasses himself the way he did in his debut all those years ago, he thinks he’ll be happy with whatever place he gets. 

***

A talk with his Coach Celestino takes up a good thirty minutes of his time, but afterwards, Yuri’s free to watch competition highlights on TV for a few hours. He watches interviews and finds himself incredibly jealous of how people like Christophe work the camera so easily. Even Yurio has a weird sort of charm with his aggressive, short answers. Victor is the most impressive though. He’s always had this way of charming anyone he talks to, Yuri included. When asked about him in fact, Victor plays it so much cooler than Yuri could ever hope to. 

_“And what do you think about skater Yuri Katsuki? He’s one of the first skaters ever to get lucky enough keep a steady lead on you this far into a season. Do you see any chance of surpassing him?”_

_Victor only shrugs, “I consider Yuri and amazing competitor and dear friend. He hasn’t gotten lucky. He’s clearly been working hard and performs well. I think it always comes down to who works harder and performs better. Right now, Yuri is surpassing me in both.”_

Yuri can’t help but be flattered. Still, statements like this have him wondering if he even deserves to be on top of the podiums, no matter how many people say he does and how many fans want him to be. Everyone is out here talking about him like he’s the greatest thing since Victor himself. He doesn’t necessarily feel that way. Even after doing well last season, he still feels like he’s making up for his terrible bomb at eighteen. He’s never been that great at letting things go. 

As evening starts to hit, Yuri finds himself growing hungry. He could order room service, but he’s not seeing much other than junk food. By now though, the crowds have likely dissipated and he won’t be harassed by reporters if he tries to leave his room. He thinks it might be fun to venture out and even sight see just a little. 

He’s pretty sure he’s not the only one with the same idea. He can hear the voices of Jean, Yurio, Michele and Michele’s sister, Sara, just around the corner at the elevators. At first he thinks it might be nice to see a few familiar faces, maybe invite them to join him for dinner, but the closer he gets, the better he can hear them. It’s hardly inviting. 

“And did you see Katuski’s interview after the kiss and cry today?” Jean says, irritation oozing in his every word like snake venom, “The way he laughed and disregarded us all completely? Who the hell does he think he is? He talks as if nobody remembers his debut, as if nobody remembers when _he_ was a nobody. It’s been driving me crazy all season.” 

His tone takes Yuri back. He’s not the best of friends with Jean, barely acquaintances if he’s being honest, but Jean’s never really one to seem angry or intimidated. He might actually be one of the most arrogant guys Yuri’s ever competed against. He didn’t think anything bothered Jean. Especially not him. 

“He seems sweet,” coos Sara. It has Yuri blushing and sighing with relief for a moment before her brother immediately shuts that down. 

“If that jerk so much as breathes in your direction Sara, I’ll kill him myself.” 

Yuri can at least appreciate that Yurio is ever the same, only offering a simple, “I don’t care, at the Grand Prix Final, I’ll crush him.” It’s no different than what he usually says. Ironically, it might be the nicest thing he hears after Sara. 

He’s almost afraid to turn the corner after overhearing their conversation but he doesn’t want to miss the elevator. He walks up and keeps a safe distance, careful not to make eye contact with Michele’s sister especially. He’s heard how protective Michele can be and he doesn’t want to take any chances. The ride is short, but still laced with discomfort. He can see Jean and Michele glaring at him through the reflective walls that surround the elevator and he can feel himself starting to panic. Yuri doesn’t even look back when the doors open, making a B-line for the lobby exit before the rest of them. He can’t stand the idea of being in a confined space with at least two guys who probably want him dead and a teenager who could probably kill him in his sleep.

He’s inches away from freedom when Victor barrels in through the door with a handful of bags. “Yuri! I found the most amazing little shopping strip! Where are you heading? I can show you where it is before the stores close if we hurry!”

It’s a nice gesture. It’s even nicer to know that not all of his competitors completely despise him but Victor’s always been really sweet to him. That’s just who he is, and as much as Yuri likes spending time with him when he can, right now, he would much rather be alone. “T-thanks but I’m just running out to get dinner. Maybe tomorrow?” 

He doesn’t stick around to see Victor’s reaction but he hears Jean scoff behind him and that’s all the more reason for him to dart off ahead without looking back. 

***

Dinner allows Yuri a chance to relax and not think of the pressures of skating. One or two people stop him during his meal to congratulate him on his success so far, but for the most part, he’s left alone. He takes his time hoping that when he returns to the hotel, he doesn’t run into anyone else. 

The streets are pretty empty when he leaves the small hole in the wall café he chose to eat at. It was getting kind of late when he left so he’s not really surprised. He invites the silence, though the walk back to the hotel is a little nippier than before. The wind has picked up but not enough to make him uncomfortable. Plus, the Moscow streets are gorgeous so he doesn’t mind as much. It’s not often he gets to visit this city. 

Somewhere along the line, Yuri thinks he must’ve spaced out and made a wrong turn. He thought for sure the hotel was on this next street but as he looks forward, he doesn’t see it. The area he’s in doesn’t look completely unfamiliar so he doesn’t panic, just pulls up his phone’s navigation app to try and get a good feel of how far away he is. 

He’d assumed he was alone. He hadn’t seen anyone walking past him, so hearing a voice from behind startles him. 

“You’re Yuri Katsuki, aren’t you?” 

His heart is racing from the initial shock but he still manages to get out a quick ‘yeah’ without sounding too shaken. He tells himself to calm down. It’s probably just a fan. If he’s lucky, it’s a fan that he can ask for directions, but when he looks up, he quickly dispels both of those theories.

In front of him are two males, both of which are larger than himself. He can’t tell much about their features behind the baggy clothes and hoods, but he hears strong French accents in their English so he assumes they’re natives. 

The first man laughs, _“You look lost Yuri.”_

“Why don’t you let us help you?”

The longer he stands there, the worse his nerves become. Somethings off, he knows it. “I’m alright, thanks,” he says quickly. He hopes that’ll be enough and they’ll let him go on about his business, but he knows in the back of his mind they’re probably looking to rob him. It’s perfect too—a popular, young, foreign figure skater, out at night all alone and lost. He has a credit card or two on him and a little cash. He wonders if he offers it up willingly, if they’ll just let him go without any physical altercation. 

He puts his hands up and takes a deep breath. He can practically hear his heart beating violently against the walls of his chest. “Look, I don’t have that much money on me, but you guys can have whatever I’ve got.” 

The second guys laughs and Yuri doesn’t know what to think. 

“I’m sorry Yuri, but we’re not here to rob you.” Yuri’s eyes dart back and forth in panic. Why apologize for _not_ wanting to steal his money? “We’re here to do a job and we’ve already been paid.”

“W-what are you talking about?” 

He suddenly understands when he sees the first man pull a bat from behind his back. These men don’t want his money. They want to hurt him, or better yet, _somebody else_ wants them to hurt him. 

“W-wait a minute, we can talk about this.” Yuri honestly has no idea how the hell to talk himself out of this. He just needs to buy himself some time. 

“We’re sorry kid, but like we said, it's just a job. We hope you understand...Now let’s find out if your legs are just as fragile as that glass heart of yours, huh?”

The first guy steps towards him, tapping the bat in his hand. Yuri turns to run, but doesn’t make it more than a step or two when he feels the impact. Suddenly there’s a pain radiating in his leg so bad that all he can do is fall to the ground and scream. He’s quickly shut up by a kick to his stomach that knocks the wind out of him completely. 

_This isn’t happening,_ he thinks as they continue to mangle the rest of his body. He doesn’t have the energy to cry or scream again. He just covers his face and prays for it to be over. 

*** 

_“The skating world was turned on its head last night when skater Yuri Katsuki missed curfew, only to be discovered three blocks away from his hotel. We haven’t heard any official statements yet from Yuri’s party, but we do know that he was the victim of a brutal attack that has left him hospital bound and will likely end his season. We will update this story as it develops.”_

*** 

_“Victor! Do you have any words on the attack on Yuri Katsuki?”_

_“I think it’s a tragedy. Why someone would attack an innocent, gentle, man like that is beyond me. I think I speak for everyone when I say, I am praying for Yuri’s quick recovery and I hope they catch the thugs that did this as soon as possible.”_

_***_

_“And earlier bronze medalist Jean-Jacque Leroy shared a few words on Yuri Katsuki.”_

_“Yeah, I think it’s sucks. I mean, nobody wants to go out like that but all we can do for him now is skate our hardest, ya’ know?”_

_***_

_“We have with us Yuri Plisetsky. Congratulations on placing second in the Rostelecom Cup. Can we ask, do you think you still would’ve gotten second had Yuri Katsuki been able to skate?”_

_“I know I could’ve crushed Yuri. I planned on beating him, standing on the podium with a gold at the Grand Prix Final…I did not want to beat him like this.”_

_***_

_“Update…While Yuri’s Katsuki’s condition is still unknown to the public, the Moscow Police Department released an official statement saying that the attack on Katsuki was not random, as they previously thought, but planned. They have no leads as of yet, but the International Skating Union says they will cooperate in any way they can and will be investigating not only everyone involved in the Rostelecom Cup, but the entire Grand Prix Series.”_

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think! 
> 
> The title and chapter title come from "The Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes" by Fall Out Boy


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